Pre-Season NBA Power Rankings

Denver Nuggets. 26. team. 73. <p>The Denver Nuggets had a good draft on players with NBA skills, landing Jamal Murray, Juan Hernangomez, and Malik Beasley. But this roster does not have many places to fit those players. Murray will play behind Gary Harris, Hernangomez will play behind Kenneth Farried, and Beasley will ply behind Harris and Murray.</p> <p>Thus a serious problem for the Nuggets, and no easy solution.  Championship teams need three elite players to win a championship, or hopefully players with that potential.  The Denver Nuggets cannot point to one player on this roster and say “he’s one” with any validity.  This is a very young team with capable starters.  Starters who are good enough to make rookies wait for playing time.</p> <p>There is the rub.</p> <p>Rookies will have trouble breaking into the lineup.  Starters have plateaued.   Ideally, the Nuggets would have benefited from trading a couple of their draft picks for a better than average starter and tried to focus on improving the team.</p> <p>The is a long term plan in play here, one that is both unheralded nor decried by the NBA.  But long term plans equals long term success. That success down the road has to come form somewhere. they take a step back this year.</p> <p><strong>Key Losses:</strong> D.J. Augustine<br /> <strong>Key Gains:</strong>  Jammal Murray<br /> <strong>Key Statistic</strong>: Team Defense<br /> <strong>NBA Power Rankings:</strong> 26th</p>. (29-53). Previous: